By Ron Vrooman
(Alhambra) – The Alhambra Moors made quick work of the Mark Keppel Aztecs on Friday night, racing out to a 55-3 halftime lead before cruising to an eventual 61-3 victory.
The win over Keppel broke a three-game losing streak for the visiting Moors and improved their Almont League record to 1-1 and their overall mark to 3-4.
Alhambra is currently in a third-place tie with the Schurr Spartans; the two teams are a game behind league leaders Montebello and Bell Gardens.
The Moors will face off against the Spartans this Friday in the first of three straight home games that will take them to the end of the regular season.
The Moors, who scored on eight of their ten possessions, used their rout of the Aztecs as an opportunity to work on their running game. Alhambra’s leading rusher was senior back Erick Baray, who carried the ball eight times for 103 yards and two touchdowns. The Moors’ ground attack accounted for 289 yards and six TD’s in all.
Alhambra quarterback Bryan Leonard completed three of five passes for 72 yards, throwing touchdown passes to sophomore tight end Jamichael Jackson and senior slot receiver Threy Ragland.
The Moors’ defense also produced points against Keppel. Alhambra scored a safety on the last play of the first quarter, increasing its lead to 22-3. The Moors collected those two points when the Aztecs were called for an illegal block in their own end zone.
Then, late in the second quarter, linebacker Joseph Valdovinos intercepted a pass by Keppel quarterback Joshua Juanico and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown which made the score 48-3.
The Aztecs scored their only points of the game on a first-quarter field goal which briefly cut Alhambra’s margin to 7-3.
Juanico generated nearly all of Keppel’s offense, completing nine of 17 passes for 75 yards, with two interceptions, and rushing for just 42 yards in 18 carries.
The Moors held the Aztecs to 130 total yards, and to only 55 yards on the ground.
Keppel, which fell to 0-2 in league and 0-7 overall, will seek its first win of the season at San Gabriel this Thursday night. The host Matadors have dropped their first two Almont League games after going 5-0 against their nonleague opponents.
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